More
    HomeWorldBelgium denies bail for Mehul Choksi as extradition process advances

    Belgium denies bail for Mehul Choksi as extradition process advances

    Published on

    spot_img

    Belgium’s Court of Cassation has rejected Mehul Choksi’s request for bail, in a decision that could see the fugitive diamantaire remain behind bars for months as India pursues his extradition.

    Choksi, who holdsAntiguan and Barbudan citizenship, was arrested in Antwerp on 11 April following a request from India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He has been in custody for nearly three months.

    A senior official told Hindustan Times the court found Choksi’s bail arguments unconvincing, and said a decision on extradition is unlikely before late September. Choksi’s lawyers declined to comment.

    Indian authorities accuse Choksi of offences including criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and cheating, under laws mirrored in Belgium’s legal system.

    The case also invokes provisions of the UN Conventions against Corruption and Transnational Organized Crime.

    Choksi had cited ill-health in his bail plea and offered to wear a GPS tracker, but Belgian judges rejected the proposal over flight risk concerns.

    Indian officials argued that Choksi has previously tried to evade extradition in both the U.S. and Antigua and Barbuda.

    A CBI team recently travelled to Belgium to submit further evidence. Indian prosecutors are also working with a European law firm to assist in the ongoing legal process.

    Latest articles

    Lewis Slams Senator’s Portrayal of Community Centre Dispute as ‘Deceptive and Disrespectful’

    This is the most polite way I can find to describe Sen. Michael Joseph’s...

    Police Probe Separate Robbery Incidents

    The police are appealing to the public for information in solving two separate incidents...

    Antigua and Barbuda Cabinet Appoints Committee to Rename Streets in Honour of Garvey, McGuire, and Weston

    CABINET NOTES: The Cabinet has appointed a committee to conduct research and provide recommendations...

    PM Browne mourns teen’s death, urges youth to reject violence

    Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda has expressed sorrow following the fatal...

    More like this

    Lewis Slams Senator’s Portrayal of Community Centre Dispute as ‘Deceptive and Disrespectful’

    This is the most polite way I can find to describe Sen. Michael Joseph’s...

    Police Probe Separate Robbery Incidents

    The police are appealing to the public for information in solving two separate incidents...

    Antigua and Barbuda Cabinet Appoints Committee to Rename Streets in Honour of Garvey, McGuire, and Weston

    CABINET NOTES: The Cabinet has appointed a committee to conduct research and provide recommendations...